UPDATE: 8:45 p.m. ET
Bresnahan tweeted an apology for his comments later Wednesday night.
A senior congressional reporter for Politico tweeted on Wednesday evening that he did not believe Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand’s claims that she had been subjected to sexist remarks and actions from her congressional colleagues.
John Bresnahan is a longstanding and respected congressional reporter for Politico. But he responded skeptically after Gillibrand recalled several sexist encounters in a yet-to-be-released interview with People magazine about her forthcoming book. The New York Post reported on portions of the People interview Wednesday.
Bresnahan weighed in when Huffington Post associate politics editor (and former TPMer) Igor Bobic tweeted out a headline about Gillibrand’s reported tales of being told not to get “porky” and also told not “to lose too much weight… I like my girls chubby” by congressional colleagues.
@igorbobic I challenge this story. Sorry, I don’t believe it
— John Bresnahan (@BresPolitico) August 27, 2014
It is not clear if there was a specific story that Bresnahan doesn’t believe or why he was skeptical. But Bresnahan reaffirmed in a follow-up tweet that he didn’t believe Gillibrand’s version of events.
@igorbobic No
— John Bresnahan (@BresPolitico) August 27, 2014
TPM called and emailed Bresnahan to ask for any clarity he could offer about his remarks. He did not immediately respond.
His comments drew the ire of EMILY’s List communications director Jess McIntosh, among others.
Oh for fucks sake. RT @EvanMcSan: are we not believing Gillibrand? pic.twitter.com/andEE8615Q
— jess mcintosh (@jess_mc) August 27, 2014
Requires explanation (re Gillibrand) –> RT @BresPolitico: @igorbobic I challenge this story. Sorry, I don’t believe it
— jess mcintosh (@jess_mc) August 27, 2014
Totally unfamiliar with this knee jerk response that a woman who says something shitty happened to her must be lying.
— jess mcintosh (@jess_mc) August 27, 2014
UPDATE: 8:45 p.m. ET
Breshanan tweeted an apology later Wednesday night.
Completely moronic tweet by me on People magazine piece re Sen. Gillibrand. No excuse for popping off. I apologize.
— John Bresnahan (@BresPolitico) August 28, 2014